Marvel: 2010-07-01 - If you feed a stray
On the outside, the little townhouse in Queens serving as a Brotherhood safehouse is quite normal looking. Even on the inside, it is, save for the fact that there is a tall, blue-skinned woman dressed in black leather in the living room, shaking her head as she reads off of a laptop screen. "Hm. I might have to take a trip to Madripoor next month," she remarks with a bit of a frown. She'd had /plans/ for next month, damn it. And a ceramics class that she'd already paid for. What? Even internationally wanted criminals have hobbies too! Jeremy has finally decided he's going to visit the 'safe place' that Nix told him about. Currently he's circling the neighborhood, looking up at roof tops, checking cars for people stake outs and the like. Eventually he nears the steps that lead to the townhouse, there he pauses, letting his ears swivel so he can try to eavesdrop on what is going on inside. "Why complain about going overseas?" It may be only be a calmly observant voice and nothing more that replies to Mystique until Amelia appears, striding in from one of the hallways as if she's been there for hours. With a coat slug over one arm, the redhead might have been somewhere entirely... different from the warmer weather worn. Right down to the boots. "I'd love to go but that's not in my plans." "Madripoor? I should think a wild and lawless place like that would be quite to your liking, Raven." A deep voice issues from at least part of the way up the nearby stairs, the silver-haired figure it belongs to emerging a moment later, dressed...about as casually as he ever dresses. Erik crosses over behind the living room, heading towards the kitchen, "Is there some matter there I should be aware of, or is it related to your extracurricular activities?" He inclines his head slightly towards Amelia, "Good evening Amelia. I trust your trip was fruitful?" He uncorks a bottle of quite fine wine from the nearby rack, "Would either of you care for a glass?" It's all terribly...mundane. At least for the moment. "Oh, don't get me wrong, I own several homes there. But It's the rainy season right now," Raven explains. "The humidity makes it far less pleasant." She plays a little streaming news coverage. "And it's nothing to worry about, Erik. An associate of mine seems to have landed himself in some trouble. And he's very good about repaying favors." A pause. "Or he is to me, anyhow." Mostly because he's terrified of her. There's a small beeping sound, and Raven goes from the news coverage to the feed from the security cameras outside. "Hm, so he did decide to show up," she notes. "I wish I hadn't just eaten," she notes as she shifts into the Nix form, one significantly smaller than her "real" size. It never feels good to shrink on a full stomach. "It's the one I told you about, the tiger feral." Jeremy isn't hearing anything too terrible sounding. Mundane is good! At least it is when one is concerned they might hear nefarious plans, or shouts and screams of tortured souls. It's really amazing what a paranoid and creative mind can come up with. The young man takes a few more steps up the stairs and prepares to knock on the door. With a gradual dip of her head in acknowledgment to Erik, Amelia places the coat gingerly along the back of the nearest seat - in this case a chair before lifting both hands to reveal gloves. "Very productive. Moscow, of course. I met with a couple of people that might become beneficial to our cause. One who happens to be a doctor," she remarks without lifting her voice much higher than a conversational tone as she turns back to Raven in time to see the shift. "Oh? Excellent," comes the reply as she continues to remove the gloves, setting them atop her other winter gear attire. "Ah, I was wondering who it was lingering outside the door." No, not X-Ray vision, but a sense of biomagnetic fields. Erik withdraws three glasses for the wine, and while pouring with his right hand, makes an almost absent gesture with the left, a brief flare of pale blue energy coalescing around it as the door bolts and chains are released, the knob turned, and the door slowly swung open. "Come in my young friend. You are most welcome here." He calls out to Jeremy, "Would you care for a drink? Perhaps something to eat? I'm sure we can manage something reasonably appetizing." Now in the guise of someone too young to drink, Mystique doesn't opt for any wine. Yet. "Nix," the little blue-grey skinned waif, happily rises out of her seat. "Jeremy!" she smiles, coming up from behind Erik. "The rumors I told you about? Totally true!" Obviously since Magneto is, y'know. Right there. Raven might be accused of having a little too much fun with this form. Jeremy didn't even get to knock as the door swings open! The feral then blinks as there is no one there immediately, blocking the door. Instead a voice inviting him in, followed by yet another one more familiar.. "..Um.. er.." he mumbles out. "Hi.. Nix.. Rumors? " he tilts his head to regard the people who are within the home as he steps through the threshold. It takes him a few moments to put 2 and 2 together to equal tall white haired gent = Magneto. " oh.. er.. Hey.." his eyes are pretty wide behind the glasses he's wearing. Amelia Voght remains a calm figure next to the chair, both arms folding against her with a tug of her lips into the barest shadow of a smile. "It seems that someone has been spreading stories," she remarks, clearly shifting her eyes from their newest arrival to Erik and the much smaller Nix behind him. Lifting one hand to wave the young boy in, she continues, "You can come in further. I state for a fact that he clearly does -not- bite." "Good evening, young man. Jeremy, is it?" He glances over his shoulder at Nix and smiles faintly, "Yes, I am Magneto." He waves his hand once more, the door closing behind Jeremy, though it doesn't lock and latch again...don't want the young fellow to feel trapped. "Please...make yourself comfortable, and do not be afraid to show yourself. Be proud of who and what you are. Though I know it may not always seem so...you have been given a great gift." Case in point, Nix is dressed in shorts and a t-shirt suiting the summer heat instead of the layers she'd been wearing the other night. Her white hair is held back in a French braid, leaving her gills exposed. She's still smiling. "I'm glad you came!" she tells Jeremy while heading back inside. Jeremy is so glad he showered earlier this day and got rid of all the pesky fleas! He takes a tentative step further into the home. "...ha...hah.." he murmurs at Amelia's jest and glances over his shoulder as the door closes on it's own accord. ".. ain't exactly ashamed.. just ain't so keen on getting jumped, shouted at, an; startin' stampedes when I walk down the street.." he grins a bit at Nix and nods. This is all so very awkward! For the few moments that the smile was betrayed, it fades back into the otherwise smoothness of Amelia's features before giving her head a slow shake. "You will be none of those things here," she says, overall choosing to vocalize very little. Rather, the woman gestures to the abundance of seating choices before she pushes away towards the direction of the kitchen. If it's already been abandoned in favor of company. Magneto's face flickers with a glimmer of distaste, "Typical reaction from the baselines. Their ignorance and intolerance will prove their undoing in the end." He shakes his head, then smiles once more, "But now is not the time for such things." He gestures towards the kitchen, "Are you hungry? Thirsty? If you've been living on your own I can imagine good meals and fresh food are few and far between." "The fridge is /packed/," says Nix, clearly impressed by whoever does their grocery shopping. (Who, in reality, is often herself, in another form). "I don't think I even ate this well when I lived with my mom," she says. The young girl seems quite taken with the place, and its inhabitants. Growing teen-aged boys are always hungry. Ferals? yep them too. So feeding this feline is a top way to find a fast friend. "Ah.. sure.." he says, trying to keep from sounding too enthusiastic about the whole idea of something tasty and hot that hasn't come out of a garbage can or a hot dog cart. "Thanks..." Jeremy grins as he slowly pulls off the scarf and hoodie he's been wearing. He folds them up haphazardly and looks for some place to put them. Wisely, Amelia doesn't say anything further on the matter of humans and their views. Then again, the expression that the woman wears - of mild disdain may say everything necessary. Being in the kitchen, by the time more people arrive, she's already procured one of those wine glasses for herself but turning about in time to inquire, "Should I get anything while being here? A sandwich or anything else that's fast?" As for places to set things aside onto? There's a lot of room. Just not the chair where she's already set a coat and gloves onto. "I think Jeremy can choose for himself." Magneto notes, moving into the kitchen himself, picking up one of the wine glasses and sipping from it himself, "Ah, where are my manners? Jeremy, this is Amelia. Amelia serves as one of my chief lieutenants. She was one of our first members, and has been instrumental in helping to form and shape our Brotherhood." Jeremy's ears swivel to focus on Magneto's words and then turn when he looks towards Amelia. A wave is given. "Ah.. well, really anything is fine.. I don' wanna be trouble.. " he murmurs as he sets the sweater and the glasses too over a chair back. He pushes his ragged looking bangs out of his face and lets his tail uncurl from around his waist. "So ah.. what.. exactly.. does the Brotherhood do an' all? I mean.. I've read some on the internet..but I wouldn't begin to guess where the lies and rumors start and the truth begins.." After getting herself a glass of water from the filter-jug in the fridge, Nix busies herself washing the plate she'd used earlier. See, Jeremy? This is a haven of safe, domestic normality. Even if they do occasionally break a few laws here and there... In return of the wave offered, a nod of Amelia's head can be seen as she leans against the counter with the glass held with one hand before replying, "Generally, we provide those like ourselves a place where they can live without having to look over their shoulders." It's then that her eyes shift towards Erik, considering how much to say before capping her words off with a further dismissive wave of the glass holding hand - mindful of no sloshing of its contents. "That's what most want and need, away from humans who would do much worse to them if given the chance." "We are many different things, Jeremy. On one hand, we are a family...as Amelia suggests. Many of us have no families of our own remaining...or their families have disowned them and cast them out. We provide that haven and companionship that they might otherwise lack, away from the intolerance and blind ignorance of humanity. A place where they are free to celebrate their superiority." Erik pauses a moment, sipping from the wine glass once more and then contemplating its' contents thoughtfully, "But that is only part of our mission. The other aspect is that we are building an army of sorts. We have seen that humanity will never fully accept us...and when the truth finally settles upon them, they will undoubtedly resort to trying to exterminate us. We do not intend to allow that to happen." Jeremy tilts his head looking at each of those assembled. "That's awfully nice of you.. but ah... what do you all want in exchange for that help? " He may be naive on many levels but he's long ago learned that very little is actually 'free' in life. There is always some cost. He listens to Erik's words, his whiskers pulling in and his ears folding against his skull when the man mentions people being disowned. A tell? Very likely. "An army?...Is it mandatory to join? Ya really think they'd try that? how? you all. well except Nix, " he gives an apologetic expression towards the girl, "all look normal.. how are they gunna tell who's friend o' foe ? " he says, his tail slowly flicking behind him. Nix itches a bit at her gills, pressing a bit of water from the tap to them with her palm. She stops to listen when Erik talks, and his words make her smile. She stays quiet though, playing the part of the wallflower quite well. She has a feeling Erik might like this particular identity of hers more than the usual ones. She gives Jeremy a shrug when he points out her appearance, and doesn't seem to mind in the slightest. "We all do what we can," she says. "I'm no fighter, but I do other things to help out. Scouting out safe places, that sort of thing." "I would note that not everything is what it seems," Amelia notes, the glass lingering just below her lips as she imparts those words. "We may look human, but they only need to see us using our powers once. After that? They will hate, disown and disavow that we are anything other than mutants. Imagine if that was publicly know," she states, lips pressing together firmly before tipping the glass towards Nix. "She also has a point. Some of us have abilities more attuned to support than outright fight, should the need arise." Elaborating further doesn't seem to be the likely angle taken from the woman, reserving that for Erik, himself. "All we ask in return is whatever you are willing to give. Not all of us possess the temperament or abilities to be well-suited for the more...active...side of our organization. But as Nix says, there are many other ways that we can support one another. Taking a role in our more militant operations is -not- mandatory, though should the war come...there may not be any choice." Erik pauses, then shakes his head slightly, expression grim, "They may be genetically inferior, but ingenuity and resources are not something the humans lack. I myself have technology that can locate mutants. I know of at least one other, though he is also a mutant and while he may not share our views, he will not betray us to the humans." Whoever this person is, Magneto seems quite certain that he can be trusted...to a point. "I fear it is only a matter of time before the humans start developing...countermeasures." Magneto sighs a touch, and finishes off his wineglass, "And now, I fear Amelia and I must excuse ourselves, but Nix will be happy to show you around, I'm sure." He moves over to a small desk, opening up a drawer and pulling out a key, though at first glance it looks like a blank. However he closes his hand around it, and a flare of blue-white light emanates once more, and when the hand is open, the key has been perfectly "etched" on a microscopic level. "This will grant you access to the safehouse should you choose to leave and return later." The key floats from Magneto's hand towards Jeremy, just within arm's reach. While he waits to see if Jeremy takes it, another flare of energy crackles around Magneto, and his clothes shift and morph, briefly taking on a mercury-like appearance before "solidifying" into his crimson-and-violet regalia, the helmet floating down to his grasp from somewhere upstairs. Showing off? Well, not really, Nix and Amelia would well know that he's quite casual about using his abilities. "In any case, it was a pleasure meeting you, Jeremy. I hope we will speak again soon." Erik offers a smile, laced with at least a touch of genuine warmth, before he looks to Amelia, holding out a hand towards her, "We had best be off." Jeremy listens with rapt attention to Erik's answer. It makes his whiskers droop. Such doom and gloom! He reaches out to take the key as it floats towards him but he's quite amazed? shocked? (pick your favorite adjective! ) when Magneto shifts the shape of his clothing. ".. er.. th..thanks.." he says, his eyes wide and the slit pupils turned to tight lines. "Come on, I'll show you where the rooms are," Nix is apparently used to Magneto's dramatic speeches now. "Most of them are empty, so you can take your pick." She grabs his hand (or, er, paw), and pulls him towards the stairs. Turning to set the glass onto the counter behind her, the left arm extends slightly as a fine mist until it thickens into something substantial. Like the coat and gloves that had been present in the main room. Letting it hang limply across her arm, she looks to Nix and then to Jeremy before striding towards Erik. This is something she sees every day. Nothing new here, though it's not without a look over one shoulder timed with the placement of her right hand into the one extended towards her. She need not agree, this time. Instead... "Hopefully," Amelia begins as the pair turn into mist, only to fade into nothingness gradually. "We'll see you soon, Jeremy."